5 Reasons for FAA-Registered Drone Service Providers

Register Your Drone at www.faadronezone.faa.gov

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates all airspace in the United States and has specific statutory rules for unmanned aircraft systems, including the need to register drones. At the time of this writing, there were 347,957 commercial drones registered in the US. So why should commercial drone pilots register their drones?

1. It helps ensure the safety of our national airspace

The FAA created the National Airspace System (NAS) to protect people and property on the ground, and to establish a safe and efficient airspace environment for civil, commercial, and military aviation.

Drones are fundamentally changing aviation, and the FAA is working to fully integrate drones into the NAS. FAA Part 107 is the set of FAA regulations that describe how, when, and where drones may be flown for commercial purposes. By flying registered drones under Part 107 rules, commercial drone pilots are helping to keep people, property, their drone, and our National Airspace safe.

2. The FAA will soon require Remote ID (RID) to track the use of drones

As part of a new Unmanned aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) system, the FAA recently announced the Remote Identification (RID) rule for drone pilots. Under this new rule, all drone operators are required to equip their drones with RID technology no later than September 16, 2023.

Remote ID will broadcast a unique identifier that is tied to the drone’s registration, allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and other federal agencies to log flight paths, track drone operations, and locate the control station when a drone appears to be flying in an unsafe manner or in an area where it is not allowed to fly. This technology also lays a foundation for the safety and security groundwork needed for more complex drone operations utilizing UTM in the future.

FAA Remote Pilot Seal

3. A unique FAA registration number must be displayed on all commercial drones

Per FAA Part 107 regulations, all drones weighing less than 55 pounds that are flown commercially must be labeled with a unique registration number that is clearly visible on the outside of the drone.

4. It only costs $5 and takes about 10 minutes to register a drone for commercial use

Commercial drone operators must register each of their drones individually with the FAA Drone Zone. The good news is that this can be done online, and only costs $5 per drone.

5. Pilots who fly an unregistered drone for commercial purposes may face steep penalties

Registering a drone at the FAA Drone Zone website is a statutory requirement. Failure to register a drone may result in both civil and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500, and criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three (3) years.

Conclusion

The benefits of commercial drone registration are clear. By requiring commercial drone pilots to 1) hold a Remote (Part 107) Pilot Certificate and 2) register each of their drones individually, each pilot can, and should be, held accountable for their actions.

From The Editor:

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Jim Brammer

Director, Product at Aerial Decisions

After establishing a commercial photography studio in 2008 Jim founded Soaring Vistas Media in 2014, augmenting his studio-based offerings with aerial photography. The following year, Jim's aerial cinematography work was selected as a finalist at the 2015 InterDrone Film Festival. As the commercial drone industry matured, Jim obtained his FAA 333 Exemption in 2016 and, in 2017, his FAA Part 107 Pilot Certificate and Night Ops waiver. In addition to offering drone-based aerial photography, videography, cinematography and data capture services, Jim is also a drone industry Consultant and Part 107 ground school/flight school Instructor.

When he’s not shooting or flying, Jim’s passions include spending time with family; enjoying wine, live music and traveling with his wife Marcia; and giving back through non-profit work with organizations such as City of Hope and Unform Your Bias.

“At Aerial Decisions, our primary focus is on the safe, ethical and professional operation of drones. The knowledge that we are making a difference is truly meaningful, both for me personally, as well as our Clients. Our exceptional team of professionals allows me to leverage a perfect mashup of the skills – photography, videography, drone piloting and training, plus sales, marketing and strategic consulting – that I’ve been fortunate to amass along my journey to this point in my life.”